The English Department is driven by a deep commitment to enriching students' educational journey through a dynamic and inclusive curriculum. Our students explore a broad spectrum of texts, from the traditional literary canon to contemporary and underrepresented voices, encouraging critical thinking and emotional growth.
Through the study of both fiction and non-fiction, we nurture curiosity and support students in developing intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. In English Language, we empower learners to communicate with fluency and confidence - essential for understanding the world and engaging fully in life beyond the classroom.
English holds a distinctive place in the curriculum, offering a lens through which students can explore human experience and society. They engage with diverse perspectives, encounter powerful ideas, and build a strong foundation in reading, writing, and spoken communication. Above all, we aim to inspire a lifelong appreciation for language and literature in every learner.
Subject leader: Michaela.Bell@excelsiornewcastle.org.uk
EA Foundations (Y5, Y6 and Y7)
Intent
At Excelsior Academy, we firmly believe that reading is key to educational success, and with this in mind, reading fluency and comprehension is at the core of our English teaching. We are determined to ensure that all children will be competent readers by the time they leave our school; able to decode accurately and to comprehend what they are read. Through our vibrant reading culture and high quality teaching, we aim to engender a love of reading and literature which will support our pupils throughout their lives. We also understand that good readers become good writers.
Our choice of high quality, engaging age-appropriate texts provide motivation and stimulus for enjoyable writing opportunities with clear audience, purpose and role. Pupils at our school are proud of their written work and understand the importance of being able to communicate effectively in both spoken and written language. The English National Curriculum and EYFS is planned for and covered in full within the EYFS, KS1 and KS2 school curriculum. Whilst the EYFS and National Curriculum forms the foundation of our curriculum, we make sure that children learn additional skills, knowledge and understanding and enhance our curriculum as and when necessary.
Implementation
According to the Reading Panel (2000), the core components of reading include phonemic awareness, phonics and word study, fluency, vocabulary and reading development, which decreases the difficulty with reading and can lead therefore to a promotion in reading satisfaction. We follow ‘Read Write Inc’ with fidelity for discrete phonics teaching, ensuring children have ample opportunity to apply these skills through their reading in class and at home. This is a key focus of the curriculum in EYFS and KS1 to ensure that pupils have the basic skills to become fluent readers.
We also recognise the need for specific teaching of comprehension skills, and thus use a Reciprocal reading and a very structured approach to the teaching of reading skills to teach comprehension through a range of high-quality literature (see our whole school Literature Spine). Each week in all Key Stage 2 classes there is particular comprehension skill which is the focus in reading lessons (including skimming and scanning, retrieval, inference and summarising). We take every opportunity to develop and widen children’s vocabulary, creating a language rich environment in order to stimulate our pupils’ natural curiosity about new words.
For writing, we use Jane Considine’s ‘The Write Stuff’ approach. This approach is based on current research evidence on learning and writing. It involves experience days. These days are built into teaching sequence to enhance enjoyment, raise excitement and preparedness for writing. The Write Stuff breaks the learning pathway down into a logical sequence from complete whole, shown as a map, then into plot points (narrative) or way points (non- fiction), that are taught as paragraphs or meaning domains respectively.
Over time, these sections join up to make a complete piece that lead into independent writing. The Write Stuff is built on high expectations of quality for writing. Each small step that is explained and modelled during the teaching sequence allows for practise time so that pupils can refine and rehearse their own personal writing style. Success criteria is a critical part of The Write Stuff and every single Write Stuff lesson has steps to success, as the teachers and pupils guide. Success criteria also forms the backdrop of pupil thinking when they plan, build and write their own independent work.
Impact
Our English Curriculum is based on expertise from Read Write Inc, The Fisher Family Trust, the Education Endowment Foundation and Jane Considine and it fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- A formative reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes daily, weekly and termly. Teachers adjust planning accordingly to meet the needs of their class.
- Termly assessment, for key year groups (2 and 6) Progress in Reading Assessment (PIRA) and Progress in Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GAPS), which are termly standardised reading comprehension and SPaG tests which enable school to track progress, predict future performance and benchmark against national averages.
- Pupil discussions about their learning.
- Monitoring of lessons, planning and work, as per our Quality Assurance Schedule.
| Term |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
Year 7 |
| Autumn |
Exploration and Identity
|
Humanity and the Natural World
|
The Origins of Language
|
|
Ambition and Achievement
|
Courage and Sacrifice
|
A Journey within a Journey
|
| Spring |
Dreams and Possibilities
|
Journeys, Heroes and Legends
|
World Literature
|
|
Conflict and Survival
|
Justice and Injustice
|
Travel Writing
|
| Summer |
Responsibility and Action
|
SATs Reading Paper
|
Novel: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
|
|
Myths, Wonder and Imagination
|
Change and Transition |
Novel: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
|
Year 5 Curriculum
| Reading |
| What pupils will know |
- Pupils will understand that accurate, fluent reading supports comprehension and enjoyment.
- Pupils will know that vocabulary, language and text structure contribute to meaning.
- Pupils will understand that authors make deliberate choices to engage readers and communicate ideas.
- Pupils will know that evidence from a text is used to support interpretations and opinions.
- Pupils will develop knowledge of a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays and non-fiction texts.
- Pupils will understand how themes, characters and author's choices shape meaning.
- Pupils will know that reading supports enjoyment, discussion, research and learning across the curriculum.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will read accurately and fluently, using vocabulary, morphology and context to support understanding.
- Pupils will retrieve, record and present information from a range of texts.
- Pupils will use contextual clues and wider reading to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
- Pupils will make predictions using evidence from the text.
- Pupils will draw inferences about characters, events and themes, justifying ideas with evidence.
- Pupils will identify and discuss themes, language choices and author's intent.
- Pupils will summarise key ideas and identify important information.
- Pupils will compare characters, settings, themes and viewpoints within and across texts.
- Pupils will prepare and perform poetry and plays using intonation, tone and expression.
- Pupils will explain, discuss and justify their views using evidence from the text.
- Pupils will evaluate texts and apply reading skills across the wider curriculum.
|
| Assessment |
- NGRT termly assessments Autumn term
- NTS termly assessments Autumn, Spring and Summer terms
- Accelerated Reader Star Reading Tests half termly
- Fresh Start Phonics assessments (for children accessing phonics) on 8-weekly cycle
|
Year 5 Curriculum
| Writing |
| What pupils will know |
- Pupils will understand that writers make deliberate choices about vocabulary, grammar and text structure to achieve a purpose.
- Pupils will know that different text types have distinctive features, audiences and structures.
- Pupils will understand how language, grammar and punctuation contribute to meaning and effect.
- Pupils will know how description, dialogue and literary devices engage readers and develop ideas.
- Pupils will understand how paragraphs and cohesive devices organise and connect ideas.
- Pupils will know the importance of planning, drafting, evaluating and editing writing.
- Pupils will know that accurate spelling, punctuation and handwriting support effective communication.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting appropriate language and form.
- Pupils will use ambitious and precise vocabulary to inform, entertain and influence readers.
- Pupils will describe settings, characters and atmosphere using a range of literary devices.
- Pupils will organise writing into coherent paragraphs using cohesive devices.
- Pupils will vary sentence structures to create clarity, detail and effect.
- Pupils will adapt language, tone and style to suit different genres and audiences.
- Pupils will use dialogue, description and action to develop characters and narratives.
- Pupils will apply grammar and punctuation accurately to support meaning.
- Pupils will spell statutory Year 5/6 words accurately and use reference tools effectively.
- Pupils will evaluate, edit and improve their writing for accuracy and impact.
- Pupils will maintain a fluent, legible joined handwriting style and present work effectively.
|
| Assessment |
- Termly in-house writing moderation
- GAPS Grammar, Punctuation and SDpelling termly assessments Autumn, Spring and Summer terms
|
Year 6 Curriculum
| Reading |
| What pupils will know |
- Pupils will understand that accurate, fluent reading supports comprehension and deeper understanding.
- Pupils will know that vocabulary, language and text structure contribute to meaning and effect.
- Pupils will understand that authors make deliberate choices to suit purpose and audience.
- Pupils will know that ideas and interpretations should be supported with evidence from the text.
- Pupils will develop knowledge of a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays and non-fiction texts.
- Pupils will understand how themes, conventions and author's choices shape meaning.
- Pupils will know that reading develops enjoyment, knowledge, discussion and learning across the curriculum.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will read accurately and fluently, drawing on vocabulary, morphology and context to support understanding.
- Pupils will retrieve, record and present information from a range of texts.
- Pupils will use contextual clues and wider reading to determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
- Pupils will make predictions using evidence from across a text.
- Pupils will draw inferences about characters, events and themes, justifying ideas with evidence.
- Pupils will identify and discuss themes, conventions, language choices and author's intent.
- Pupils will summarise key ideas and identify important information.
- Pupils will compare characters, settings, themes and viewpoints within and across texts.
- Pupils will prepare and perform poetry and plays using intonation, tone and expression.
- Pupils will explain, discuss and justify their views using evidence from the text.
- Pupils will evaluate texts critically and apply reading skills across the wider curriculum.
|
| Assessment |
- NGRT termly assessments Autumn term
- Previous years' SATs Reading papers Autumn and Spring terms
- KS2 SATs Reading Comprehension paper Summer Term
- Accelerated Reader Star Reading Tests half termly
- Fresh Start Phonics assessments (for children accessing phonics) on 8-weekly cycle
|
Year 6 Curriculum
| Writing |
| What pupils will know |
- Pupils will understand that writers make deliberate choices about vocabulary, grammar and text structure to achieve a specific purpose.
- Pupils will know that different text types have distinctive features, audiences and organisational structures.
- Pupils will understand how language, grammar and punctuation contribute to meaning, clarity and effect.
- Pupils will know how authors use description, dialogue and literary devices to engage readers and develop ideas.
- Pupils will understand how paragraphs and cohesive devices organise and connect ideas.
- Pupils will know the importance of planning, drafting, evaluating and editing to improve writing.
- Pupils will know that accurate spelling, punctuation and handwriting support effective communication.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will write effectively for a range of purposes and audiences, selecting appropriate language and form.
- Pupils will use ambitious and precise vocabulary to inform, entertain and influence readers.
- Pupils will describe settings, characters and atmosphere using a range of literary devices.
- Pupils will organise writing into coherent paragraphs using cohesive devices.
- Pupils will vary sentence structures to create clarity, detail and impact.
- Pupils will adapt language, tone and style to suit different genres and audiences.
- Pupils will use dialogue, description and action to develop characters and narratives.
- Pupils will apply grammar and punctuation accurately to enhance meaning.
- Pupils will spell statutory Year 5/6 words accurately and use reference tools effectively.
- Pupils will evaluate, edit and improve their writing for accuracy, effect and impact.
- Pupils will maintain a fluent, legible joined handwriting style and present work effectively.
|
| Assessment |
- Termly in-house writing moderation
- Termly cross-Trust writing moderation
- Previous years' GPS SATs papers Autumn and Spring terms
- KS2 SATs Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling papers Summer term
- Assessment against Teacher Assessment Framework Summer term
- Possible Local Authority writing moderation
|
Year 7 Curriculum
|
Topic: The Origins of Language
How has language evolved over time?
|
| What pupils will know |
- Pupils will explore how language and literature has evolved over time, looking at the key stages and important influences that shaped them.
- They will learn how spelling rules have developed and the ways in which these link to the historical development of language.
- Pupils will develop a knowledge timeline of language change, its influences and its links to modern grammar and spelling patterns.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will decode texts, make inferences, and identify accurate sentence structures.
- They will explore how setting, plot, and characterisation shape meaning, and connect common words to their origins. Pupils will select key ideas, summarise information, and apply it in new contexts.
- They will craft coherent writing, discuss the history of language, share ideas, and understand a range of historical texts.
|
| Assessment |
How - Part A: Knowledge Quiz
When - End of module.
Knowledge Organiser
|
|
Topic: A Journey within a Journey
How has storytelling developed over time?
|
| What pupils will know |
- Pupils will develop a strong understanding of the oral tradition and folklore, as explored through Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed.
- They will learn about the structure and purpose of a nested narrative and how it shapes meaning within a text. Pupils will also develop knowledge of key structural devices, including Freytag’s Pyramid, as well as foreshadowing and juxtaposition. In addition, they will examine how writers use techniques such as setting to build atmosphere and meaning.
- Pupils will gain insight into the cultural context and develop empathy and understanding for the experiences of people in other cultures.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will be able to apply this knowledge in both analytical and creative ways. They will analyse the structure and features of nested narratives and identify how writers use structural devices to shape reader response.
- Pupils will read and make inferences and explore meaning through close reading. They will engage in thoughtful discussion of structure, characterisation, and setting, and apply their understanding to improve their own writing.
|
| Assessment |
How - Part B: Reading Assessment
When - End of module.
Knowledge Organiser
|
|
Topic: World Literature
How do cultural experiences enrich people’s identity?
|
| What pupils will know |
- This unit introduces pupils to a variety of poetic forms, helping them understand how poetry is used to communicate ideas about identity.
- They will explore the concept of authorial intent, considering why poets use writing as a form of expression. Through the study of global voices and texts from diverse cultural contexts, pupils will engage with themes such as identity, conflict, belonging, and displacement.
- They will broaden their understanding of how literature reflects and shapes societal values and provides a foundation for comparative analysis in future study. The unit also aims to promote a love of reading through engagement with poetry that reflects the cultural backgrounds of the pupils themselves.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will be able to analyse the use of poetic and structural devices and comment on the effect of authorial choices in poetry. They will develop their critical thinking by exploring the impact of poetic techniques and will use this knowledge to construct their own poems, demonstrating an understanding of structure and expressive language.
- In writing, pupils will begin to craft analytical responses.Through oracy, they will explore how identity is shaped by different contexts, and develop empathy and understanding for others.
|
| Assessment |
Part A - Knowledge Quiz
Part B - Reading Assessment
When - End of module.
Knowledge Organiser
|
|
Topic: Travel Writing
How can the world be explored through other people’s experiences?
|
| What pupils will know |
- This unit introduces pupils to the genre of travel writing, deepening their understanding of how language and structure are used to convey personal experiences of different places and cultures.
- They will explore how writers represent the world from a personal perspective and how travel writing can inform, persuade, and entertain.
- Pupils will learn to recognise the conventions of the genre across various forms, such as novels, articles, and brochures, and develop their awareness of how tone, register, and style are shaped by purpose, audience, and form.
- Pupils will engage with a wide range of global perspectives and experiences, while also valuing and reflecting the rich cultural diversity within our own school community.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will be able to identify and analyse the conventions of travel writing and evaluate their effectiveness. They will apply their understanding in their own persuasive and descriptive writing, demonstrating a clear sense of tone, purpose, and audience.
- Through writing tasks, pupils will learn how to adapt register for formal contexts and develop control over their use of voice and persona. They will also research and incorporate factual information to support their ideas, and through structured discussion, pupils will articulate how writers use structure and content to create effect.
|
| Assessment |
How - Part A: Knowledge Quiz
Part B: Writing Assessment
When - End of module.
Knowledge Organiser
|
|
Topic: Novel - My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
How do experiences impact identity?
|
| What pupils will know |
- This unit introduces pupils to a contemporary novel that examines how personal experiences shape identity and how individuals are influenced by those around them.
- Through the exploration of complex themes such as grief, family, and belonging, pupils will deepen their understanding of identity as fluid and evolving. They will engage with thematic analysis, gaining insight into how writers use fiction to reflect on both personal and societal issues, and why they choose to do so.
- The unit also supports the development of emotional literacy and empathy by exposing pupils to a range of perspectives and lived experiences, building cultural capital in the process.
|
| What pupils will be able to do |
- Pupils will analyse how language, structure, and narrative perspective shape tone and convey complex themes. They will interpret character motivations in relation to authorial intent and evaluate how themes and characters are presented.
- Through close reading and discussion, they will strengthen inference skills and justify interpretations with textual evidence.
- Pupils will produce analytical responses that consider multiple meanings and perspectives, and articulate ideas clearly in discussion and reading aloud.
|
| Assessment |
How - Part A: Knowledge Quiz
Part B: Spoken Language
When - End of module.
Knowledge Organiser
|
EA Horizons (Y8, Y9, Y10 and Y11)
Aims of the EA Horizons English Curriculum
Across Years 8, 9, 10 and 11, our English curriculum develops pupils into confident readers, writers and communicators who can engage critically with a wide range of texts, ideas and perspectives. Learning is carefully sequenced and interleaved, enabling pupils to build upon prior knowledge whilst developing the analytical, creative and communication skills required for success in education, employment and everyday life.
Throughout EA Horizons, pupils study a broad and diverse range of texts, including prose, poetry, drama and literary non-fiction. Through exploring different periods, cultures and genres, pupils develop an understanding of how writers use language, structure and form to shape meaning and influence audiences. The curriculum encourages pupils to become thoughtful, reflective readers who can make connections between texts and the wider world.
Poetry plays a significant role within the curriculum, amplifying a range of voices and experiences whilst providing opportunities to explore themes such as identity, heritage, culture, power and society. Pupils encounter texts from writers of different backgrounds and perspectives, promoting empathy, cultural awareness and critical thinking.
The curriculum also includes the study of Shakespeare, with learning designed to make his work relevant and accessible to modern audiences. Alongside Shakespeare, pupils explore texts by women, working-class writers and writers from minority ethnic communities, providing opportunities to discuss social issues, equality and representation. Literary non-fiction is used to build cultural capital and encourage engagement with contemporary issues and possible future career pathways.
As pupils progress through Years 10 and 11, they deepen their understanding of English Language and English Literature through the study of GCSE texts and examination preparation. Pupils engage in increasingly sophisticated analysis, developing the ability to interpret, evaluate and respond critically to texts while refining their own writing style.
Regular opportunities for creative, transactional and analytical writing enable pupils to write with increasing accuracy, confidence and sophistication. Through extended writing, pupils learn how to construct effective arguments, develop clear thesis statements and support ideas with detailed evidence and analysis.
Oracy remains a central component of the curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to discuss, debate, present and articulate their ideas confidently, helping them to develop the communication skills required for further study and future employment.
The curriculum remains knowledge-rich, ambitious and inclusive, encouraging pupils to engage thoughtfully with questions of identity, power, culture and social justice. By the end of Year 11, pupils will have developed the reading, writing and communication skills needed for further study, employment and lifelong learning, alongside a lasting appreciation of literature as both an art form and a means of understanding the human experience.
English-Curriculum.pdf
